1.) Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz that understands the mind as a system of distinct inner "parts"… each with its own perspective, emotions, and role in protecting the self. Rather than pathologizing these parts, IFS approaches them with curiosity and compassion, working to unburden the wounds they carry and restore access to the Self… the calm, grounded centre that is always present beneath the noise.

Psychedelic experiences have a remarkable way of surfacing these inner parts directly, often with vivid clarity. Our team brings the IFS lens into both preparation and integration sessions, helping clients understand what arose during their journey, build a compassionate relationship with difficult or protective aspects of themselves, and translate the medicine's insights into lasting inner change.

2.) Transpersonal Psychology

Transpersonal Psychology is a field that extends beyond the personal dimensions of human experience to include states of consciousness, spiritual development, and the full range of what it means to be human. Pioneered by figures such as Abraham Maslow, William James, and, most significantly for this work, Stanislav Grof, transpersonal psychology takes seriously the experiences that conventional psychology has often left at the door: mystical states, non-ordinary consciousness, the dissolution of ego boundaries, and encounters with what many describe as the sacred or ineffable.

Grof's decades of research with LSD and later with holotropic breathwork demonstrated that non-ordinary states of consciousness are not aberrations to be managed, they are doorways. The psychedelic experience, approached with intention and proper support, can access material that talk therapy rarely touches: birth, death, ancestral patterns, and the transpersonal dimensions of healing. This lineage forms a foundational lens through which Michael understands the depth and the breadth of what becomes possible in ceremony.

3.) Spiral Dynamics

Spiral Dynamics (SD) is an evolutionary model of human development originally developed by Don Edward Beck and Christopher Cowan. This system builds from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and helps to identify different markers of consciousness and the processes by which people move through different developmental stages.

4.) Embodied Inquiry

Embodied Inquiry for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is a modality derived from mindfulness-based interventions and other somatic therapies. Inquiry requires the use of mindfulness both personally and professionally, with an emphasis on a present moment orientation and awareness of sensory experience. It relies on supporting a client’s capacity to attend to what is salient in the present moment of their experience, and help them investigate whatever is arising with curiosity and with a non-judgmental attitude. This modality was developed by Dr. Devon Christie.

5.) Cognitive Systems

Cognitive Systems is an interdisciplinary program at UBC which focusses on intelligent systems both organic and artificial. It synthesizes four disciplines together into one integrative study: Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy and Computer Science. I completed a degree in Cognitive Systems focussing on Brain & Cognition and I use this as the backdrop for the work that I do. I think the richness of the psychedelic experience needs to be examined from multiple disciplines.